1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a protective device for warding off potential assailants or attackers, the device being easily carried on one's person and rapidly and effectively used under poor lighting conditions or during periods of darkness. In particular, the present invention relates to a non-lethal personal self-defense device. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment hereinafter shown and described, this invention relates to a dispenser adapted to receive a canister of self-defense spray, the dispenser having a source of illumination for identifying an assailant and aiming a shot or stream of self-defense spray along an illuminated path.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
The art of portable protective devices has been contributed to by a number of proposed devices including, for example, the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,414,610 and 4,153,927 issued, respectively, to E. A. Gale et al. and O. E. Owens.
The Gale et al. patent is directed to a laser-sighted briefcase firing device including a laser-type sighting device mounted on a rigid base within the briefcase. A firing piece enclosed within the briefcase is mounted proximate to the sighting device. The case is provided with a pair of small apertures, one for the barrel of the firing piece and the other for allowing a laser beam to be projected out from the case and onto a target. The device can thus be aimed and then triggered by a mechanism positioned near the handle of the case.
Personal assaults are becoming more commonplace. Many of these attacks are directed at women and occur at night or in areas having poor lighting. As a result, many people, particularly women, are carrying aerosol canisters filled with a self-defense spray such as mace. These canisters are being carried on the individual's person or in their pocketbooks or briefcases for the purpose of defending the individual against assaults. As is well known, spraying a stream of self-defense spray such as mace into the facial region of a potential attacker will temporarily disable the attacker and provide the intended victim an opportunity to escape. However, locating the canister and effectively aiming and firing its contents under emergency conditions is oftentimes difficult for the average, untrained person.
In addition, law enforcement officers are under increasing pressure to subdue unruly suspects without resorting to violence or unnecessary force. While existing self-defense spray dispensers offer the means to accomplish this end, they are under utilized because they are difficult to aim accurately at night, or in poor lighting conditions, and can endanger the officer, should the indiscriminately dispensed chemical drift back and come in contact with the officer.
The device described in the Owens patent gives law enforcement personnel a choice between a lethal and nonlethal weapon by providing a multi-purpose clipboard which contains a gun, a flashlight, a camera, a tape recorder and a gas or mace canister. The clipboard can also be used as a protective shield. The canister is mounted beneath the flashlight and is adapted to fire laterally through one side wall of the clipboard structure. The canister trigger is mounted on top of the board and in a fully exposed location. Accordingly, directing the canister discharge onto a specific target is extremely difficult and requires the use of both hands. In addition, because of its exposed trigger, the canister can be accidentally fired and cannot be conveniently carried in a pocketbook or carrying case.